The Box
by iKnightWriter
Summary: The Pack is in desperate need of a communication workshop
1. Introduction

**So I was watching this episode of Reba at 3 this morning and decided to make a Teen Wolf version of it. Enjoy!**

"Lydia, I don''t not understand why we have to take a communication workshop," Jackson complained to his wife, "We communicate just fine, like, Remember the other day when I came home and asked, 'How was your day' and then you talked for 45 minutes? That's communication."

Lydia wasn't paying attention to him at all. She knew he was trying to get out of this session just like he tried to get out of anything else. She loved Jackson and all, but still she wasn't sure who exactly was more conceited out of the two them. While, she purposely refused to look Jackson in the eye on the couch beside her, Allison decided to give Jackson the no-matter-what-you-say-nothing-is-going-to-change look.

Jackson could clearly see that Lydia wasn't going to give him any leverage on the matter so he did the only thing he could, "_Please_ don't make me do this." Jackson borderline begged. Jackson hardly begged and when he did Lydia usually cracked and stopped whatever nonsense was going on.

Lydia gave him a stoic look. Looking between Allison and Jackson. She leaned forward from the couch with her reply, "I don't know what you're trying to tell me," Lydia told him and Allison started cracking up, "but I bet I will _after_ our workshop." Allison and Lydia high-fived each other while Jackson pouted his way into a chair.

From behind the couch Scott voiced his option as well, "I don't know how we got _sucked_ into this." Scott told Allison, "We don't have any problems."

"Ha!" Allison replied with laughter in her voice.

Scott was confused, because he seriously thought everything was going fine, between him and Allison, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll find out." Allison told him vaguely. That smile on her face didn't disappear.

"You don't have to have problems to learn how to communicate better." Lydia told him, "Dr. Deaton teaches you how to _resolve_ conflict."

"Is this about me not taking those salsa dancing lessons?" Jackson questioned from the chair, "Because I will." He pressed at her, "I'll even wear the tight pants." Lydia raised an eyebrow at him and looked away.

"Ok, I know what the problem is Allison." Scott claimed from across the room.

"Seriously, Scott?" Allison questioned not fully believing him, "Do tell."

But Scott didn't get to answer when Derek came from down the stairs carrying a box, "That Deaton guy called said he couldn't make it." Derek announced.

Jackson and Scott met halfway through the room and high-fived overjoyed that they didn't have to suffer through the workshop, "Alright then, let's go." Jackson told Lydia eagerly.

"Just kidding." Derek told them. Jackson and Scott's faces slumped into scowls. Derek took a moment and laughed at them, while Lydia and Allison cheered on the couch.

"Derek, thank you so much for letting us do this here." Lydia told him, "I know we tend to get on your nerves."

They were at the loft for the workshop, only because Derek had the biggest space out of the pack, then again he was the Alpha and he should.

"Yeah, well try not to hurt yourselves. I don't need another Stiles related injury for the rest of the week."

"Speaking of Stiles, I see you have decided to make things more official between the two of you." Scott noticed.

"Yeah," Derek said fondly, "But there's not enough room in our soon-to-be room so I'm putting the stuff up in storage."

"Does Stiles know about this?" Allison questioned.

Derek shook his head, he wanted it to be a surprise. "Dude that's going to blow up in your face." Jackson warned him, "You know how Stilinski gets with surprises."

The first time, Derek had surprised Stiles with a key to the loft. Stiles accidently caused all the lights in the loft burst collectively, along with the couch being thrown into the loft wall creating a hole. Granted, Stiles just learned that the magic within was controlled by emotions and Stiles had been gone off to learn how to mediate and keep the magic in check. Today, just happened to be the day Stiles was coming home.

"As long as Stiles doesn't see the box everything will be okay." Derek told them. Just then there was a knock at the door and Lydia got to answer.

"He's here," Lydia chirped, "_Everyone_ better corporate." She looked pointedly at Jackson and Scott.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Deaton," the man greeted, "I'm looking for a Lydia Martin and Jason Whittemore."

"That would be me," Lydia told him as she let him in.

"Jason is right here." Derek told him pointing at Jackson, he left and headed for the kitchen.

"Actually, it's Jackson." Jackson corrected.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dr. Deaton said in feign sincerity, "My last patients _cried_ all over my papers."

Dr. Deaton began to put his things on the coffee in front of the couch when Scott approached him, "Hi, I'm Scott," Scott told him, "I'm sure my wife Allison told you about our problems."

Dr. Deaton had to resist the urge to laugh in the beta's face, "Uh, actually, no, but I'm sure we'll be able to get to the bottom of whatever is bothering you." He assured him and Scott gave him this puppy dog look.

"Wow, this is weird, but I-I kinda feel safe." Scott told the pack. Scott was a bit stupid on some occasions, so really they just smiled and nodded at him.

* * *

In the kitchen, Isaac was reading a magazine and noticed the box Derek had set on the table, "Are you getting rid of Stiles' stuff?" The six-year old asked with some worry.

"Kind of." Derek admitted.

"Is it because Stiles always leave the room a mess?" Isaac asked.

Derek looked over at the were-cub fondly. He had adopted Isaac before the pack even had been formed and an idea grew into his head. He could either tell Isaac the truth or doing something else entirely differently.

"Yes." He lied.

"Oh," Isaac said in thinking manner, he slid off the stool and began heading out the kitchen, "I gotta go do something." Derek smiled to himself. Well, that's one way to get Isaac to keep his room clean.

After, Isaac disappeared from the kitchen, a person walked through the kitchen door. "Surprise!" Stiles announced with a smile, but that smile disappeared. Out of nowhere, Derek got hit with the smell the hurt and anger coming from Stiles. It was the anger that stood out the most.

"Why are you getting mad?" Derek questioned.

"We have talked about you smelling me all the time," Stiles hissed, the lights flickered a bit. They both took notice and Stiles took a deep breath before responding, "And if you don't know then I'm not going to tell you." Stiles walked out of the kitchen. Derek quickly chased after Stiles.

* * *

"How do we define conflict?" Dr. Deaton asked the pack. Allison, Scott, Jackson, and Lydia were sitting in circle surrounding Deaton.

The pack didn't get to answer, when Stiles and Derek both came into the room.

"You think this is funny!" Stiles yelled at Derek, "Do you think my feelings are a joke?"

The pack looked pointedly at each other. They knew that Derek had done something to piss Stiles off again.

"How do I know what you're feeling? I didn't mean to smell you alright, but it was hard to ignore when I got attacked by the scent." Derek questioned equally as upset, "You won't tell me what's going on." Stiles glared at Derek and then at the pack and Deaton sitting on the floor, in the kitchen there was a sound shatter of glass. "I didn't plan this I swear."

"Derek, maybe you should join us." Allison advised.

"I could help, you know. It is my specialty with the supernatural." Deaton told him. Derek looked over at Stiles, who's face either darkened or turned cloudy, he wasn't actually sure anymore.

"Get Stiles to talk to me and Jason will pay you _double_." Derek said hurriedly.

"You can't be serious. _Therapy?"_ Stiles snapped.

"You can't be serious. _Double?"_ Jackson whined.

"You got mad at me the moment you walked through the door," Derek countered, "But I can't watch you walk away without knowing what happened, so park it." He flashed his eyes.

"Hey, no using werewolf powers on me!"

"That is a rule of this workshop, no use of supernatural powers of any kind," Deaton told them, "That includes you too Alpha."

"Fine." Derek huffed.

"Fine," Stiles said sitting between Scott and Jackson, "but you can't make me talk."

"That's right Stiles you don't have to say anything." Jackson supported before he shot a glance at Lydia.

Scott noticed the glare Stiles was giving Derek, "I don't feel so safe anymore." Scott announced, which he didn't not when his Alpha was trouble.

* * *

Once Derek and Stiles settled down in the circle, Derek took control, "Stiles start talking."

Thankfully, Dr. Deaton stepped in, "Therapy isn't as simple as the kind you see on TV." Deaton shared with him, "Also, in the workshop I'm in charge, remember?" Derek held back a growl in the back of his throat and simply nodded.

"Look, I just want to say up-front I don't want to do this." Jackson shared.

"Ditto." Stiles agreed.

"And I'm betting you're the first one to cry." Dr. Deaton told Jackson. Jackson gave him an offended look and Deaton turned back to the group, "For our first exercise, we are going to be sharing the things that bother us."

"Oh, Good idea. Stiles, start sharing." Derek jumped in.

"Derek-" Deaton began. Derek shuts his mouth at tone Deaton gave off, "I want you to pair off with someone other than who you're here with."

"I call Derek!" Lydia announced and took a hold of Derek.

"I call Jackson!" Scott announced high-fiving Jackson. That just left Stiles and Allison together. They exchanged glances at each other. Stiles and Allison got along perfectly, but there was always a rule they had when it came to their friendship. Don't complain to each other about their werewolf significant others, because they could at it for hours.

Deaton had watched the group interaction, "It amuses me how you think you got to choose your partners. I should add I'm doing that for you." The pack groaned at the statement, "You're all playing it _safe_. You know, sharing should be _difficult_, maybe even a little _painful_ with that being said."


	2. Raising Action

Everyone had been paired in different parts of the living room. Jackson and Derek were matched up together (to their dismay), Allison and Lydia were paired up (they were the only ones without complaint), which left Stiles and Scott (they exchanged smiles).

Allison and Lydia sat by the front door of the loft. "This isn't so bad," Lydia commented, "I think this could actually work."

"Agreed, but Lydia I know you're deflecting." Allison told her, "What's bothering you?"

"Ok, well, for one thing, he has no sense of romance," Lydia stated, "Last week from his business trip from France he got me a t-shirt…A t-shirt," Allison winced at the statement, "Allison you don't go to the other side of the world and get your wife a t-shirt from the most romantic cities in the world."

* * *

In the middle of the room, Landon and Derek remained in the same place as earlier. Jackson noticed that Lydia had an angry expression on her face, "They just _started_ talking." Jackson told Derek, "How could they be so mad?"

But Derek wasn't paying him any attention, he was busy trying to figure out what Stiles was going to say, " I can't read Stiles' lips with you yakking at me." Derek told him.

"Dude, that's cheating." Which caused Derek to look at him.

"I'm not using my werewolf hearing," He looked back over at Stiles and Scott, "No matter how much I want to."

"I get that you and Stilinski are having problems, but I'm trying to share here." Jackson told him, "Now be my Alpha and listen to my problems."

"I'm seriously starting to regret the day I bit you." Derek told him and they both exchanged smug looks.

* * *

"Drop it, Scott." Stiles said, they had been standing on the staircase leading up to the room in the loft.

"Dude, you just got home and you look like you want to maim everyone. Including me and I'm your best friend."

"You go first and then I'll tell you." Stiles bargained. Scott looked at his friend worriedly and tried really hard not to listen to see if the statement was a lie.

"Okay." He caved.

* * *

"Look, I love him to death," Allison told Lydia, "but every time I tell him to do something, he acts like he's not even listening"

"Wow, Allison I didn't know you have a bossy side."

"Lydia! That's not helping."

"Sorry, but if Jackson ever had the nerve to do that it wouldn't bother me."

"Lydia, it's my turn."

Lydia raised an eyebrow at her, "I wonder if Scott's telling Stiles how it's always your turn" She said pointedly at her friend.

* * *

"Because it's not just making the bed. It's having to arrange 14 stuffed animals in a specific order," Jackson ranted, Derek was about ready to shoot himself with some wolfsbane, "And binky can't be next to lulu because they have a history! Which apparently is private-and this is the really sick part- I want to know what it is!" He confessed. Jackson took a deep breath.

"Man, I didn't realize how much stuff I was keeping inside. You know, it's great to be able to talk to you like this." Jackson told Derek, Derek begged to differ and wondered why he didn't do a background checks on the pack beforehand, "I almost feel closer to you. So, your turn, Derek." Jackson noticed that Derek was still looking over at Stiles "What's the deal with you and Stilinski?"

"I'd love to tell you that myself, Jackson, but I don't know. Stiles won't tell me." Derek complained, "Stiles' happy expression disappeared in an instant and the next thing I known the lights flickered."

"Before Stiles discovered the magic I would lie awake at night thinking it's because Stiles' was being difficult or I'm a bad Alpha." Derek looked at Jackson for confirmation, but Jackson remained quiet.

"It's because Stiles is being difficult." Derek chose for him.

* * *

"What you said makes sense." Stiles told Scott, which completely caught him off guard. Normally, Stiles would jump to Allison's defense. Because Scott is will admit that sometimes he does screw things up, but this time it didn't happen.

"You must be really upset." Scott realized looking at Stiles, "Stiles what's bothering you?"

"Derek has a box in the kitchen with my name on it. He's going to kick me out." Stiles told him sadly. Now things certainly made sense to Scott. Scott mentally kicked Derek in the head. Stiles had the wrong idea about the box.


	3. Climax

Dr. Deaton had finally called the pack back to order, "Ok, everybody, it is tattle time." Which earned him stares and frighten faces. Deaton tried not to look amuse about it, "You know, people say to me, "wouldn't it be simpler just to tell the person who's bothering you " I would go with simple or stupid."

"Stupid." Scott announced with too much confidence.

"Yes, it is stupid," Deaton agreed with him, "Because people just get _defensive_ when they hear the same old complaints from the same old person. They just stop listening." The pack nodded in agreement, "But they will listen to a neutral third party, " and "the tattler""

"Oh no." Jackson mumbled, which caught Deaton's attention.

"You _are_ going to be the first to cry." Deaton said not hiding his amusement. "We'll start with Lydia. Be honest and truthful and you got 10 seconds."

"Allison thinks Scott's lazy." She told the pack. Scott looked shocked and Jackson looked amused at the call out. "But he's not the only one. Jackson is lazy as well." That wiped the smile off of Jackson's face. "Every morning, he gets up, gets the paper, has a cup of coffee while I'm busting my behind with the baby."

"I work, Lydia" Jackson interjected.

She threw hands around for effect and stared right at him, "Yeah, I know you work. You work on your short game and your putting and your dirty-joke telling. You must be _exhausted_." Sarcasm filled the air, "Anyway, that's what's bothering Allison."

"Ok, let's stick with the exercise, ok?" Deaton reminded them, "We're supposed to be telling what the other person complained about."

"Ok, I'm supposed to say what Derek's problem is with Stiles," Jackson told them taking his turn, "But can I just say this first?" Jackson didn't wait for an answered and turned to Lydia, "You know, it's crazy that binky and lulu have a history. And it's even worse that you won't tell me what it is!"

"Yeah, everything I do is crazy." Lydia shot at him, "Like me getting upset over that t-shirt was crazy."

"Well it was!"

"But it wasn't romantic, Jackson! You usually get me jewelry or something meaningful," She yelled at him, surprising everyone, "You went to Paris and all you got me was a lousy t-shirt. At first, I thought you were just joking around, but when you told that the shirt was it. It hurt. It made me feel like you didn't care about me as much as you say you do."

Jackson walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her, "Of course I care. I love you and I'm sorry. How about I get you a platinum tennis bracelet?"

"Done."

* * *

"Okay, now Stiles it's your turn." Deaton told Stiles, who looked like a deer in headlights, "Share what Scott had to say about Allison."

"Well, he said he loves his wife very much and she's perfect." Stiles stated simply.

"Liar!" Scott pointed at Stiles, "I said Allison's always mad at me and I don't know why."

"Hey, don't yell at Stiles," Allison jumped up from her spot, "You do too know why. You _always_ mess things up on purpose. "

"Why would I do that?"

"So I don't ask you to do them anymore." Allison confessed at him, "I mean you dressed Kyle once." Allison told him, "_Once_!"

"Because you _changed_ him when I was done." Scott countered.

"You put on his frog shirt on with his ducky pants."

"And everyone knows they're mortal enemies." Scott said sarcastically, but then Scott's tone changed, "When you correct me, you make me feel like I'm a bad father."

"What?" This caught Allison off guard.

"Like when he goes out dressed like that, you're really embarrassed of me."

"Scott, I could never be embarrassed of you." Allison told him.

"After knowing you for years Scott, the effects wear off." Stiles included with a smile. "Now kiss and make up."

Scott and Allison did just that.

* * *

"See now we are getting _somewhere_," Deaton told them smiling at their progress. "Scott it's your turn to share what Stiles told you."

Scott could feel everyone looking at him. Derek was giving him that menacing look and Stiles looked ready to bolt out the room again. Scott realized he couldn't do it to his best friend. Stiles lied for his sake and it was only fair if Scott did the same. "Pass." He told them.

"Pass?" Derek growled.

"I think if Stiles wants you to know, you'll have to wait." Scott said.

"Maybe _next_ workshop," Stiles said in panic manner, "Wow! This was so much fun. Later!"

Stiles bolted out the room, but Derek wasn't ready to give in yet and quickly followed.


	4. Falling Resolution

Derek rarely used his supernatural speed on Stiles, but when he managed to block the door for Stiles' only escape he got just the reaction that he expected. "Hey! No wolf powers!" Stiles claimed out. "Dr. Deaton said so."

"Deaton's session is over, but you and I are going to finish this. I did not sit through listening to Jackson's problem with Lydia's stuffed animals to get nothing. Do you want to know what I said about you?"

"No," Stiles told him, "I don't but I have a pretty good idea."

"Did you also discover, the abilities to read minds?"

"No, but your actions were loud and clear." Stiles told him.

"What are you talking about?" Derek stepped closer closing the space in between them, "What action?"

"The box, Derek," Stiles confessed and pointed at the box that was still on the table. "It has my name on it. It means you hate me. You _reject_ me."

Then it clicked for Derek. "Stiles, no. That's not what the box means." Derek said keeping himself calm. The lights flickered again. "It means I _accept_ you."

"What?" Stiles asked confused.

"Stiles, when you were gone, it was hard for me to adjust without you being here. It was harder on Isaac too." He said softly. "The whole wolf-mate trail wasn't easy, while you were gone. As the weeks passed by and the things that you normally do for us went undone. I realize that you add a balance in our lives. You add a balance in my life."

"Seriously?"

"Yes and I wanted to prove it to you, by moving your things into my room. Our room. I wanted to surprise you, but as usual Scott and Jackson were right."

"God, I hate when they are."

"Me too, but Stiles I accept you as my mate and I hope you accept me as yours." Derek said taking hold of Stiles' hands.

Stiles gave him a smile, "Of course, I do Sourwolf." And leaned in for a kiss, a kiss that Derek wanted to give Stiles the moment Stiles got home.

They broke apart when Jackson entered the kitchen with a tissue in his hands, " Hey, Derek, Lydia told me the whole binky-lulu story," Jackson began tearing up, "It's so sad!" He sobbed into the tissue.

From the corner that led the living room into the kitchen, Derek could see that Deaton had an amused smile on his face.


End file.
